Kent Youth Hockey Continues to Grow

January 8, 2008

By John Mauer

During winter evenings and on weekends, Kent Youth Hockey (KYH) has a growing program for area children to learn and participate in the game of ice hockey.  Heather Hannan, acting president of the group, said, “The hockey program started 42 years ago as a feeder for hockey players to Kent School.”  That connection is still active today, but the program has expanded well beyond that.  Kathi Lee, the registrar, said, “We have over 100 children in the program this year.”

This day, and at this time in the mid-morning on Sunday, the Peewees were playing a team from Simsbury.  The skating was second nature, but the coaches were still teaching the proper style of play.  Kent has a more mature program; the Kent team passed well and scored often.  Other town programs, and other audiences, provide varying levels of competition.  The game usually is conducted by two officials from Stripes, but only one was available today.  He ran a well played game; penalties were few and obvious for these two teams.  The final score, Kent 7-1, seemed less meaningful than the joy of playing.

Parent participation was rampart; young children, “growing hockey players”, were everywhere.  The parents took turns running the snack bar to raise funds.  Parents provided child care of toddlers.  Grandparents cheered in the stands or took pictures from several vantage points.  This was clearly a family sport, whether the players were practicing or engaging in a competitive game.

The group belongs to the Connecticut Hockey Conference, a conglomeration of 38 hockey organizations throughout the state.  Through this organization, KYH schedules games with other towns and regions for its six competitive teams.  The teams are coed from the Mini Mite (4-8 years old), Mite A (7-8), Squirt (9-10), to the PeeWees (11-12) although the latter team is mostly boys.  The hockey competition continues for the girls with U14 (under 14) and U19 (under 19) teams.  Presumably, boys go to high schools with hockey programs and the sport changes with checking and physical play.  All the local ice time occurs either at Kent School or South Kent School.

Coaches in this sport deserve special mention, as many do it for the love of the sport as well as for the helping hand to our children.  The Mini Mites are coached by Rob Giampietro with assistant coach Justin Soule,  the Mites by Matthew Hannan and Geoffrey Stewart, the Squirts by Daniel Kabasakalian and James Richards, the Peewees by Jim Lyle, Stephen Banffy, and Matthew Hannan, the U14 team by Nick Downes and Derek Saunders, the U19 team by Skip Eads and Donald Hicks.

Many of the people who help with the sport took part as children. Soule, the assistant coach for the Mini Mites, remembers. “We had a lot more practice, and fewer games.  And it was colder.  South Kent [School Rink] wasn’t covered; Kent [School Rink] didn’t have sides.   You really wanted to play, and we had more players.”  He remembers Eads as his coach and motivator.

The hockey program also includes instruction for those children who have not learned the sport.  This group, coached by Adam Manes and Jim Gilbert, provide the opportunity for basic instruction for children from 4 to 7 years old who have never played the game and wish to learn.